Whoo, update! Ugh, it's really bad and short. Sorry about that. I'll make sure to do a better chapter next time. Oh, and Greysilhouette, NO! Qui-Gon did NOT stay! *shudder* that'd just be plain creepy…
"And then what?"
Obi-Wan moaned and fell back against the pillows. After hours of interrogation, no rest, no break, and mind-numbingly endless series of questions that repeated themselves over and over, he was beat. By two teenage girls (well, one was technically an adult, though Obi-Wan considered twenty to be young enough). He didn't understand what was so kriffing interesting to them. Jari and the Togruta girl who looked like Ahsoka—she had introduced herself as Shylaya—were sitting cross legged on the bed while Obi-Wan lounged on the couch, trying to draw each and every bit of juicy gossip from him that they could. Like he didn't remember clearly enough.
When he'd woken up in the morning, Obi-Wan had felt the strangest sense of dread. Why was Anakin holding him so close? Ugh, and why did he feel so sticky? His heart sank as he remembered what happened last night. He'd given up everything, every last bit of defiance he could muster, and had given in completely to Anakin. So that settles it then, Obi-Wan thought, I have to follow through with Qui-Gon's plans. There's no turning back now. Anakin and woken not much later, still grinning in that same arrogant way as if he'd worn it to bed. Obi-Wan had been dismayed and disheartened to find his eyes were gold once again. Oh, well. It was nice while it lasted.
Obi-Wan had half expected to have another…hem…repeat of last night, but thankfully Anakin and an assignment to go on. Although there was something that had just seemed…softer about him then. A strange part of Obi-Wan hadn't wanted him to leave—though he quickly banished that thought. Before he left—with much coaxing and prodding on Obi-Wan's part—Anakin had reluctantly apologized to Jari. Jari, not wanting to be slaughtered after narrowly escaping death last time—readily forgave him, and Anakin took back what he said about not allowing her to meet with Obi-Wan.
The Jedi sincerely wished he hadn't.
As soon as Anakin's starfighter took off, Jari and Shylaya pounced, dragging him to his room and demanding to know every scandalous detail about last night. Obi-Wan rather felt like a pre-teen girl at a slumber party. Force help him if he woke up tomorrow with pink nails and bows in his hair.
"There's nothing else to tell, Jari, you've managed to get every last fact from me." Obi-Wan sighed, practically rolling his eyes. Dear, Force, I am acting like a teenager.
Shylaya giggled and laid down on the bed, propping her head up with her hands. "Aw, c'mon, Obi, we're just interested! It's too boring around here!"
Jari nodded in agreement, "There's finally something exciting happening, and we want to know what!"
"Force, what else is there that I need to say?!"
"Well…did you like it?"
Obi-Wan glared at Jari, "I'm not going to tell you that, thank you very much. Contrary to popular belief, I do have some dignity left, people!"
"Geez, lighten up!" Shylaya complained, "So…"
"So?"
"So do you like him?"
Obi-Wan squirmed uncomfortably, shrugging nonchalantly. "I…don't really know. I guess so…?"
Jari and Shylaya gasped collectively before proceeding to annoying shout "Aw!" as if he were a Latisun kitten who had done a trick at their whim.
"Obi's got a boyfriend! Obi's got a boyfriend!" the two completely immature girls shouted in a sing-song tone, chanting at the top of their lungs. Obi=Wan groaned silently.
It was going to be a long night.
Thunder rumbled in the distance as a flash of lightning split the sky, illuminating the black cloaked figure at the top of the Senate Rotunda. Sidious sat facing the rain-smeared window, back to the door, fingers laced, deep in thought. This had not been planned. He hadn't expected this…disruption to occur. What was Kenobi playing at? The Emperor had felt the rippling disturbance in the Force, the streak of light splitting the darkness that enshrouded his apprentice. He'd also felt the nearly overwhelming feeling of that pitiful emotion, love. Bah. It was a sickening feeling: racing heart, sweaty palms, jealousy, the utter need to devote every second of spare time catering to the other's needs. Skywalker was full of it right now. How could this have happened? Sidious had only allowed Kenobi to live for the sole purpose of showing Skywalker how weak the Jedi really were and how easy it was to degrade them. Kenobi wasn't supposed to return those pitiful feelings; far from it. So what was he up to? Surely he couldn't have fallen for his apprentice…?
Well. The Sith Master would show him what the cost of such pathetic, overpowering emotions was. Sidious had been in love once, many, many years ago. She was a pretty young thing from another noble house his treacherous parents had tried to pair with to "bring more good blood into the family." She's died, thankfully; his own Master had seen to that.
He would just have to do the same.
The reflection in the window allowed him to watch without turning around as one of his loyal scarlet clad guards entered and kneeled on the floor.
"My lord," the guard rumbled, his voice muffled by his mask, "the prisoner you requested has arrived."
"Send him in."
The Red Guard nodded, "Yes, my lord," and motioned to the doorway. Two more guards strode in, half dragging the struggling man in an orange prison jumpsuit between them. Shaven head, ferocious snarl, icy blue eyes cold with a pure hatred of the world and a criminal record a parsec long. A blood red tattoo meaning something no doubt vulgar or lewd obscured one eye.
Rako Hardeen.
The guards shoved him forwards, sending him tumbling to the floor. The bounty hunter jumped back to his feet, scowling dangerously.
"What the kriff is this about?" Hardeen shouted, advancing on Sidious, "I already did my time, what're you sendin' yer guards after me fer?"
Sidious gestured for silence, "I only want a favor."
Hardeen snorted, "Like hell I'll do you any favors. I'm out." Saying so, he threw his shoulder against the nearest guard and body-slammed another. The bounty hunter charged at Sidious's desk, but before he even had the slightest chance he was dangling in the air clutching his throat. Sidious was already standing, fist loosely clenched in an almost bored Force choke hold.
"I wouldn't." Sidious said calmly, letting his hand drop back to his side. He let the man go, causing him to stumble onto the ground, gasping for breath.
"What…what do you want?"
The Emperor moved from behind his desk and paced around the man, studying him as if he were an animal on display. "I hear you are good at what you do. I know you get the job done; I know your style—no witnesse, no trace left behind, good with the difference between alive with minor wounds and dead."
Sidious clicked a button on his holoviewer, and Hardeen's eyes glinted murderously as a holograohic 3-D image of Kenobi popped up.
"I have a job for you."
Alright, alright, I know, short chapter—it was kinda boring anyway. I'm not very happy with the beginning. But the end was good! Right? Right…? Fine.
Yes, yes. I'm such a hypocrite for throwing Rako into the mix. But I couldn't help it! THINK OF THE PLOT, PEOPLE!
Aaand…that's about it. See ya next time, folks!